Device for dispensing medicaments



R. E.- M CUISTON DEVICE FOR DISPENSING MEDICAMENTS Nov. 6, 1951 Filed Nov. 5, 1949 INVENTOR. ROBERT E. Mc CUISTON ATTORNEYS iston, cfeehbbio, k da ie ltbereew CL, as-

Application November 5, 1949, Serial-No. 125,199

' p ains lI- 8- %?9 invention relatesto a device, forgtheuadgn stration of medicaments, particularly ,the adm nistration by inhalation, ,insumiation ,.or

atomization of powdered or ,liquidamedlcaments.

The use of powdered orliquid medicinal agents in inhalation and insuffiation therapy, and; in particular, the use of antibacterial. or antibiotic agents, is becoming increasingly Widespread. However, the problem of simple andefi'icient application, especially the uniform distribution of the medicinal agent over the area .to .be treated, has not been satisfactorily overcomef For ex ample, the inhalators presently used for administration of penicillin by inhalationare maincient.

The present invention provides a device which, dispenses a powder or a liquid agent into a stream of gas to become entrained therein by the centrif ugal force resulting from the rotation of a rotatable container for said material which is an internal part of the device and which rotatable container is caused to rotate by the action of the stream of gas thereon; The entrained medic-f inal agent is carried along in the stream of gas into or onto the body cavity or surface to which the stream of gas is directed.

The device includes the following essential parts: (1) a basket type container in which the medicinal agent is carried in the shallow cup like top surface thereof and which is formed with a series of notched fins as an integral part of the lQwer basket body circumferential surface; (2) aicove'r which fits over the toner said baskettype container and which has a series of peripheral holes that'are adjacent 'to'theiinneredge of h rim bf t c p-sha e top u ace f the basket'when the cover is in place; 3 an t o ich is com rised .Q W a n piece having a passageway therethrough and usually tapered at the applicable end to allow insertion into a body cavity and (b) a bottom piece torming the base of the device eitherthetbp piece "or the bottom piece being skirted, so that when as-' sembled, the two form a hollow cylinder, the wall t which is the skirt, this cylinder accommodate ing the basket and cover assembly, the bottom piece having a passageway therethrough at such an angle that the inner opening of the passageway is close to the wall of said cylinder; and (4) bearing means including bearings and bearing points connecting the upper and lower plane surfaces of the basket and cup assembly and the corresponding surfaces of the chamber so that the basket and cup assembly are free to rotate within the chamber formed in the body portion.

9 invention will he 'Iu the des ib with ,1 @119 t th a companyin drawing in which: I

l i ew in ide elevationof a device mlmdi s the inven ion partly in sectio d2 2 crasssect onal .VieW taken along line 3.. Fi .1; .;;F e;-'.3 isacr ss sectional view taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and Jiig- 41$ a crcsssectionalview taken along line awLof'Eig. ;;1.

The illustrated choice hasa .top piece I having apassageway 2, ,a tapered bearing 3, and milled ribs 4-; abottompieceS, thecylindrical side 60f which fits, over the baseof the toppiece I form ingsthejchamber 1. The base of this bottom piece 5..ii1'cludesa passageway .8 which opens into the chamber '11 close to the cylindrical wall 6 and which connects with a counterbored hole 9. ex!

tending into the bottom piece 5 from the bottom surface thereof, a bearing point Ill, and milled. ribs II which, together with milled ribs 4. on th'e top piece, facilitate assembling and taking apart. theibody portion. V

"The basket I2 fits into the chamber 7 whenthe device is assembled. The basket I2 has a tapered. bearing 13 which fits into bearing point II] in the bottom piece'l's, a-series of notched fins I4 positioned around its lower circumferential surface and a cup-shapedtop. surface I5. A cover IS fits over the top ofbasket I2 forming-the shallow cuplike' ch-amber" II Which holds the powdered or l iquid'medicinalagent to be dispensed. The cover I6 is providedwitl-iperipheral holes I8, adjacent to the inner edge of the rim "of the cup-shaped top surface I5 of the basket Hand acentralhole I9 which provides a bear-ing point for thetapered bearing 3 of the top piece I.

The device is assembled by placing the basket Iiar i d cover I6 assembly containing the medicament to be administered into the bottom piece 5 'of the body portion with the-basket bearing I3 in the bearingpoint I0 of the bottom piece 5, andthen'inserting the top piece I into the bottom piece so that -the tapered bearing 3 of thetop piece flts into the bearing point l9'inthe cover F62 So assembled-the device is ready for use.

In use, a stream of air is forced through the device by drawing air through the top passageway by means of the nose or mouth as in inhalation or by blowing air or gas through the bottom passageway by means of a bulb or pressure tank attached to the connection provided by counterbored hole 9 as in insufllation or atomization. The stream of gas or air entering the passageway aster-are in the cap it is entrained in the air or gas stream,

passing through the chamber 1 and then carried through passageway 2 in the top piece Ito, the

surface or area or into the body cavity undergo ing treatment.

When a bulb or pressure tankis to housed in" conjunction with the device it may be easily connected to. the counterbored hole 9 provided in the base of the device by a piece of rubber tubing or other similar means. producing a stream of gas through the device should be provided of such construction that the inflation of the bulb does not draw air through the device. i

By providing separate covers with different sized peripheral holes powders of varied particle size and liquids of various densities may be used with the device and the rate at which these agents are dispensed into the entrained air stream may thereby be controlled. l r The basket and cover assembly may be used as a convenient and efficacious packaging medium for dosages of medicaments. When used as a packaging medium the basket and cover assembly may be discarded after administration of the medicinal agent, while the body portion ofthe device is retained foruse with a new basket and cover assembly containing the prescribed medicinal agent. The basket and cover assembly, with the medicinal agent in it, may be individually packaged (sterile, if appropriate) for distribution. This convenient means for marketingdosages of any particular medicament eliminates handling of the medicament by the user and, in addition, assures that a cover with proper size peripheral holes is being used with each particular medica- 4 ment.

In addition to the usefulness of this device in inhalation therapy, as with penicillin, the device is useful in insufiiation and atomization administration of other medicinal agents.

Thus for human patients the device may be used for oral or intranasal inhalation orinsufiiation or the administration to the respiratory tract of any of or mixtures of the following:

. Bacterial vaccines.

. Sinusitis vaccines.

. Antihistaminic agents.

. Vasoconstrictors.

. Antibacterial or antibiotic agents.

. Antiasthmatic agents (such as bronchodilators).

The device may be used for insufiiation into the ear of humans or animal of medicaments such as an antibacterial agent or anesthetic agent.

The device may be used for treatment of vaginal conditions such as trichomoniasis; vaginitis or cervicitis, or diseases such as gonorrhea by the Any bulb or the like for' insufliation of a medicinal agent into the vagina, or for the application of a contraceptive.

For animals the device may be used for oral, intranasal, or uterine insufiiation of appropriate medicaments.

The device may be used for the atomization spraying of liquids or the insuffiation of powders to external body surfaces. The above mentioned uses and usable agents are given as examples and are not meant to limit "the uses for which the device is adapted.

,lc im V V 1. An assembly including a bottom element -having a concave'upper surface forming a cup- '15 like depression therein, peripherally positioned fins'on'said element adapted to be impelled by a flowing fluid medium thereby to impart rotational movement to said element, and a centrally positioned first bearing means on the lower surface thereof, and a cover forsaid element having peripherally disposed openings and a centrally positioned second bearing means, said assembly being adapted to contain, in the cup-like depression and under the cover, a material of such nature as to be dispersible in a gas stream.

2. An assembly including a base and a top fitted one within the other to form a hollow cylinder, both the upper inner surface of the base and the lower, inner surface of the top being provided with centrally positioned bearing means adapted for the rotational. mounting of a container, the base having, a hole leading from the outside to the inside of the cylinder and opening .into the inside of the cylinder nearthe periphery thereof and at an angle to the axis of the cylinder, and the top having a hole leading from the interior of the cylinder to its upper surface.

3. An assembly including an outer assembly having a base and a top fitted one within the other to form a hollow cylinder, both the upper, inner surface of the base and the lower, inner surface of the top being provided with centrally positioned bearing means, the base having a hole leading from the outside to the inside of the cylinder, and opening into the inside of the cylinder near the periphery thereof and at an angle to the axis of the cylinder, and the top having a hole leading from the interior of the cylinder to its upper surface; and an inner assembly rotatably mounted within said hollow cylinder on the said bearing means, said inner assembly including a bottom element having a concave upper surface forming a cup-like depression therein, peripherally positioned fins on said element adapted to be impelled by a flowing fluid medium thereby to impart rotational movement to said element, and a cover for said element having peripherally disposed openings.

ROBERT ELLIS MCCUISTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references 'are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 16,066 Murphy Nov. 11, 1856 2,478,715 Schmitt Aug. 9, 1949 

